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Wednesday, January 24, 2018

Polar Bear Necklace

Instead of a geometric design around cabochons I gave myself a challenge of a scenery piece. I started with the polar bear placement and the rest seem to fall into place. I purchased a light box to help me transfer pictures to beading foundation quickly and clearly. I can't say enough about having this $20 - $30 tool just for this purpose.

This design took about 3 months to bead because I paused in between segments to visualize how to create the icy texture around the bear and the horizon color. An interesting approach was I used some lesser quality seed beads I bought locally that were uneven cuts. I almost discarded them and luckily I did not do this because the uneven characteristic provided the perfect texture for the ice.

Each time I push myself to a higher ground I learn more about the art of beadi embroidery and how limitless it can be even using lower quality seed beads.Finally, here are a few other designs with the lapis blue cabochons that were accomplished in between working on this necklace.

So where do I buy the majority of my cabochons? An Etsy shop called mygemgarden2. The shop ships from China, but don't let that deter you because Jack ships quickly and packages securely with bubble wrap for the long journey. I have never been disappointed with any of the cabochons I have received.

I have another design in production that I plan to show next week. I will discuss the artist providing the inspiration, where I purchased the cabochons and some of my stitching techniques. Stay tuned....